


Waiting Game

by DragonReine



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: First Kiss, Introspection, Love Confessions, M/M, Post-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-19
Updated: 2015-06-19
Packaged: 2018-04-01 20:44:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4033966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonReine/pseuds/DragonReine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>—or the tale of Kagami Taiga making a series of realisations that he had grown to like Aomine, and figuring out what to do about it.</p><blockquote>
  <p>Kuroko had murmured that they were “like two nearly-identical tomcats fighting for space” and Taiga needed to make Kuroko read less of his weird overly-complicated novels because seriously, what kind of metaphor was that? What made it even more irritating was that the rest of the team seem to <em>agree</em>; even Akashi had given them a long stare before nodding and saying, “A strange way to word it, but your observation is not incorrect.”</p>
</blockquote><a href="http://dragonreine.tumblr.com/post/122852002067/waiting-game-kagami-aomine-authors-commentary">Author's commentary on Tumblr.</a>
            </blockquote>





	Waiting Game

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place after the _Extra Game_ sequel, but only a brief reference is made towards it, so doesn't matter if you'd read it or not. There are quite a number of throwback references to manga/anime canon, however. 
> 
> End notes have my alternate, very much self-depreciating summary of what this story is about.

It started when they were forced into playing one-on-one for their own good, during the week he was recruited to be in the same team as the whole Generation of Miracles. At the time they were forced into it under Riko’s orders; a “team building exercise” after they’d clashed in the gym and nearly came to blows on the first day of practice.

It’d been such a pain in the ass at first, because Aomine can be a big bag of dicks when he wanted to be. Taiga would be the first to admit that he has a temper problem, but Aomine had a unique talent when it came to riling him up. And that was something that had not changed ever since they'd first met during their first year, and Aomine had "tested" Taiga on how good a player he was.

Kuroko had murmured that they were “like two nearly-identical tomcats fighting for space” and Taiga needed to make Kuroko read less of his weird overly-complicated novels because seriously, what kind of metaphor was that? What made it even more irritating was that the rest of the team seem to  _agree_ ; even Akashi had given them a long stare before nodding and saying, “A strange way to word it, but your observation is not incorrect.”

Aomine had caught Taiga’s eye and given him a look like “Seriously, why are our teammates such assholes?” and it was probably weird to just  _get_  Aomine like that without sharing a word, but Taiga had shrugged and gave a weary look in return that probably said “You knew them the longest, you tell me.” Aomine’s reply to that was a sigh and a roll of his eyes, before he threw the ball back at Taiga and snapped at him to continue their game.

Later (much, much later) Taiga would realise that this wordless exchange was the first time they actually kind of agreed with one another, completely unforced. So maybe Kuroko’s metaphor about the two of them being similar was correct, but Taiga would really rather cut off his own legs than admit that.

Once the Jabberwocks vs Vorpal Swords showdown was over, they kept bumping into one another outside of official matches, because somewhere during that week Kuroko and Momoi started dating for real, although for the first few times they pretended to “meet up as friends”. Which meant Kuroko would invite Taiga, because they were best friends, and Aomine would tag along with Momoi, because they were practically siblings.

And hell, Taiga knew he wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer, but even he couldn’t miss the lovey-dovey air between Kuroko and Momoi. They practically had little cartoon hearts floating around them, it was that obvious. At some point during the third (or was it fourth?) of these not-dates, he and Aomine had looked at each other, and somehow in that shared glance they mutually came to the conclusion that enough was enough. There was awkward and there was  _awkward_ , and Taiga loved Kuroko like a brother but that also meant he wasn’t interested in watching his own brother’s love life being played out right in front of him. And from what he could see in Aomine’s bored and ever-so-slightly pained expression, Aomine felt very much the same about this.

One day, the four of them walked by a streetball court, and Taiga instantly seized the opportunity, challenging Aomine to a game because damn it, he still didn’t manage to beat Aomine during their Vorpal Swords one-on-ones. Aomine had smiled that infuriating, lazy grin and agreed.

Taiga didn’t miss the relief and silent appreciation in Aomine’s eyes, and that had made his heart thump funny in his chest, just a bit.

It became their excuse to get away from the Kuroko-Momoi dates, and they do actually meet up and play, because Kuroko and Momoi were both too observant and those two would instantly be able to tell if Taiga or Aomine were lying.

So they met up and they played because they were forced to, similar to how their Vorpal Swords training went. But at some point during these games, Taiga realised he was playing because he  _wanted_  to. Aomine was amazing and just _so fucking cool_  when he’s playing, damn it, even if it bruised his pride to admit it. He was just that little bit faster, just a touch more skilled. It always made Taiga’s blood race because Aomine was  _strong_  and even though Taiga lost each and every time they had one of their games, he could feel himself growing stronger just to keep up with Aomine’s pace. It was very much an awesome thing to realise that he  _can_  keep up with Aomine, even as Aomine always remained just out of reach, just enough to be a constant challenge.

And truth to be told, Aomine wasn’t quite as bad a person as Taiga had thought he was. He still said that stupid thing about being the only one who can beat himself, but Taiga realised that this wasn’t a declaration born of arrogance, but merely a statement made matter-of-factly. Because it was a  _fact_ , at least probably in Japan, Aomine was just that good. Taiga made a mental note to drag Aomine to the States someday and take him to meet some  _real_  basketball players, because sometimes he thought he saw a flash of pain in Aomine’s eyes whenever those words came up, and Taiga suspected that Aomine himself didn’t actually like how easily he dominated everyone on the court. It reminded Taiga of middle school all over again, and Taiga thought he could relate to that empty feeling of having no one to challenge, just a bit.

They still grumbled and growled and snarled at each other during their games, but it didn’t feel like a real fight to Taiga, not any more. The insults they hurled at one another felt more like habit, and Taiga kind of liked that he had someone who not only can put up with his shit without actually getting offended, but gave back as good as he got. It was a great way to let off steam, and when it happened to be  _fun_ as well...eh, that’s just the icing on the cake.  

They started talking, dumb observations about the weather and such, and then eventually they had real conversations, mostly basketball-related things. Taiga felt his admiration grow, just a bit, because Aomine  _knew_  basketball, like he lived and breathed the game, and he started giving pointers to Taiga, which was pretty fucking cool of him to do so given that they were still active players on rival teams. Of course Taiga still couldn’t beat him on his own (yet) but Taiga suspected that Aomine wouldn’t have even bothered giving those tips if Taiga couldn’t improve, and the idea that Aomine actually considered him worthy of teaching made something warm and fuzzy bloom in his chest, despite the constant frustration at the growing chain of losses.

He also eventually realised that Aomine was a bit of a dork.

Aomine was trying to explain...something too technical for Taiga to remember, and Taiga just couldn’t  _get it_. Frustrated, Aomine suddenly started talking about cannons, and it took a little while before Taiga realised that Aomine was using cannons as a metaphor for that something.

It was so unexpected, so  _weird_ , that Taiga had spent a moment blinking at Aomine, before bursting into laughter.

Oh God, no wonder Aomine and Kuroko used to get along so famously. They both have the same overly dramatic way of thinking.

Aomine had glared when Taiga started laughing, but when Taiga eventually explained the reason for his laughter, Aomine had turned red in the face and immediately stalked away, forcing Taiga to chase after him. Aomine eventually relented when Taiga promised to buy him burgers at Maji later, but he very obviously sulked for the rest of the game.

That was the also first time that Taiga realised Aomine really was quite cute. Especially when he's pouting and embarrassed.

And with that realisation it was as if a door unlocked in his mind, and he started to notice a lot of little things about Aomine that somehow appealed to him.

Like how much of a space hog Aomine can be sometimes, sprawling out on the best bench at their usual streetball court like a sleepy cat, so much that Taiga had to shove at him just to be able to sit on the edge. Or how Aomine seemed weirdly fond of  _touching_ , be it an arm draped over Taiga shoulders while he made snide comments about his game, or just dropping his legs right on Taiga’s lap if Taiga managed to sit down on the bench before Aomine could lie on it. Or how much he clearly cared about Satsuki and Kuroko, always doing his best to comply to their demands and requests, even while he grumbled about it. Or how sometimes Aomine's face would shift in the middle of their more intense games, just for a split second, brow smoothing out and eyes turning softer, the usual wild-eyed grin changing into a real smile that lit up his entire face, like the sun peeking out from behind storm clouds, and Taiga could see just how much Aomine really loved basketball with all his heart and soul.

At those moments, seeing Aomine truly  _happy_  in that guileless way, he could understand why Kuroko wanted so hard to make sure Aomine can smile while playing again. 

So maybe Taiga was starting to nurse a little crush on Aomine, and frankly the thought would had horrified him a year ago, but now he just viewed it with a kind of quiet resignation. Taiga wasn't actually concerned about the fact that they were both guys; he'd initially thought that he would never develop an interest in that sort of thing, given how he'd remained unaffected even while his friends were starting to notice how _interesting_ girls are. 

Sure, he got boners like any teenager, had wet dreams, masturbated. But it was more like scratching an itch, for him, not something he did because he found someone sexy. His fantasies were never particularly vivid anyway, formless faces and bodies that were more like vague impressions of people than actual people. 

Besides, he grew up around Alex, who made no secret about liking to kiss girls, so he’d long since figured out that boys can kiss boys too.  And he'd always believed that there really shouldn't anything wrong with being able to care for and love someone, no matter what their bodies were like.

Especially when the person you liked also liked you back.

Taiga isn't 100% sure of this, but he'd noticed that sometimes he would catch Aomine kind of...not staring, exactly, but giving him furtive looks from the corners of his eyes or beneath his lashes, slightly wary but also as if he couldn't help looking at Taiga. And there was something different about the air between them when they have their one-on-ones; they’d always read each other pretty well, but these days it was as if their awareness of each other had reached a whole new level, and even the slightest brush of contact against each other sent goosebumps racing over Taiga’s skin. 

Taiga couldn’t help but think  _closer, I want you to get closer,_  even while Aomine started to crowd him even more than necessary when defending, virtually breathing down Taiga’s neck.

It’s starting to drive Taiga a little crazy. 

He was having awkward  _ideas_ about Aomine, feverish thoughts about licking away the sweat that trickled over his skin, running hands down the sleek planes of his body, sinking teeth into plush-looking lips. Thank god for loose-fitting basketball shorts, or Taiga would had embarrassed himself each time he watched Aomine’s mouth suck down the contents of a Pocari bottle.

And yet, Taiga said nothing. Did nothing. Because he wasn't _sure_ , and if something went wrong, if he scared Aomine off somehow...he'd lose Aomine, lose his rival, lose one of the painfully few people he can call a friend, and he didn't want that at all. 

So they continued this weird circling-around-each-other thing. He knew Aomine was aware of this new tension between them, could see it in the frankly alarming way that Aomine seemed to bounce between moods of “don’t fucking touch me” and “I want to feel more of you”. One moment he’d snap at Taiga to keep his distance, the next moment he’d drape all over Taiga like a particularly clingy vine. 

 _Fucking asshole doesn’t really know what he wants_ , Taiga realised, with no small amount of irritation. Or rather, Aomine didn’t to know what to do with this attraction, and decided to try and ignore it. Except he clearly had trouble trying to suppress his true feelings, with the end result being that Aomine was sending very mixed signals. 

Ugh. Taiga felt like grabbing Aomine by the shoulders and just  _shake_  him, the stupid stuck-up jerk, and yell at him about being so emotionally constipated. 

Yes, he  _wanted_  Aomine to a level that almost frightened him, but his instincts were telling him  _not now, not yet._ Taiga had always been the sort to act based on what he felt rather than what he thought. For that, he needed to trust his instincts, and so far they’d never led him wrong before. Instincts had made him approach Alex and ask her to coach him, even though he didn’t know who she really was before. Instincts had drawn him to Hyuuga and Riko’s table so he could sign up for the Seirin basketball team, even when he had no reason to believe that the team was any good. Instincts had made him stop and listen to Kuroko, despite how annoying and vague Kuroko was at first, with all that shadow and light garbage. 

And his instincts told him that if he made the first move, if he took the first step when they're so hesitant around each other right now, Aomine would never truly open up to him. Aomine would just accept Taiga’s feelings as his due, not bothering to reciprocate properly, to show the same vulnerability that Taiga would show, and Taiga  _really_  didn't want that. He wanted,  _needed_  for the two of them to be equals in this, because what’s the point of trusting someone with your heart when they won’t trust theirs with you? 

So he gritted his teeth, ignored the ridiculous, desperate  _yearning_  his heart, and waited.

* * *

Kuroko noticed eventually, as Taiga had expected.

He had kind of hoped it wouldn't happen, but this was Kuroko, who’d managed to see through his smile when he tried to get rid of Himuro’s ring. Of course he would be able to see what Taiga was really feeling for Aomine, even if Taiga never admitted it out loud to anyone.

And because Kuroko can be an _utter asshole_  at times, he chose to announce this in Maji Burger, while Taiga was trying to eat. 

“Kagami-kun has been spending a lot of time Aomine-kun, lately.”

Taiga jumped, choked, and spent a moment trying to cough out the wad of food he’d inhaled instead of swallowed. Kuruko just watched with his usual calm, sucking contentedly on his shake.

“Damn it, Kuroko,” Taiga snarled. “Don’t just say things like that while people are eating.”

“I was merely pointing out the obvious,” Kuroko said. “Since Kagami-kun has been silent about it.” He put his shake down and  _looked_ , his gaze sharpening in a way that made Taiga sit up a little straighter, suddenly on guard. He knew that look. This was Kuroko's  _observing_ stare, the one that looked like he could read the innermost thoughts of a person. "Does Kagami-kun perhaps like Aomine-kun?"

Damn it. Taiga can't help but feel a little trapped. He'd never been the best liar to begin with; against Kuroko's skill at observation, lying would be impossible, and Taiga knew that if he deflected the question, Kuroko would simply continue to pursue it with his brand of dogged determination, until Taiga just caved into Kuroko's silent (and not so silent) demands. 

Kuroko may be the phantom of the Generation of Miracles, the least known and the least famous, but he sure as hell had the same egoistic, self-assured way of assuming that he'd get his own way, sooner or later. 

"Stop looking at me like that," Taiga grumbled. "It's not like I actually tried to hide anything from you. Not on purpose, anyway."

Kuroko blinked slowly. "I never accused you of keeping secrets from me."

"No, but you were thinking it." Taiga sighed. "Fine, fine, I  _like_ Aomine, just a bit. You happy now?"

"I am pleased that Kagami-kun could trust me with this, yes." Kuroko's eyes narrowed slightly, his equivalent of a frown. "But it seems Kagami-kun is also troubled by it. Is something wrong?"

"Uh."  _I just can't tell if Aomine actually liked me the same way_ was on the tip of Taiga's tongue, but it felt like a weakness, admitting how smitten he was out loud. 

But when Kuroko continued to look at him, undaunted, unafraid, almost _expectant_ , he felt something in him give way and grudgingly accept that maybe asking for help might not be such a bad idea.

"Something wrong...you could say that, yeah." Taiga unwrapped another burger, slowly, just to give his hands something to do so they won't tremble. "Does Aomine...like men?"

Kuroko was silent for a long time, his eyes distant, faraway, seeing memories of the past instead of impressions of the present. After a moment that seemed to stretch forever, he slowly shook his head. "I honestly do not know."

"...Oh." Taiga stared down at the burger in his hand. He'd hoped...well, aside from Momoi, Kuroko was the one who knew Aomine the longest. He'd hoped that Kuroko could confirm that Taiga had a bit of a chance, that what he'd sensed from Aomine wasn't a product of his own imagination and longing. 

"...but I also don't know if he  _doesn't_ like men."

_Huh?_

Taiga's head snapped up. "What's that?"

"I had said before that Aomine-kun truly loved basketball. And truth to be told, he doesn't spend much time doing anything else outside of basketball." Kuroko paused to take a sip of his shake, before continuing. "In the past, he'd always had many admirers, in Teiko, but he'd never responded much to his fans' overtures, despite how persistent some of them can get. And according to what Momoi-san has told me, he still isn't dating anyone now." Kuroko's lips curved, just a tiny bit. "Apparently Kagami-kun is the only person he's willing to spend his free time with."

Taiga stared at Kuroko, felt his face slowly heat up as Kuroko's words sank in. He looked away and munched on his burger, hoping he wasn't blushing too hard. The idea that he was the only one that Aomine wanted to hang out with made something warm and fuzzy settle in his chest, which was kind of ridiculous. 

"...Kagami-kun."

"Hmm?" Taiga glanced at Kuroko. "What now?"

"Aomine-kun is really not as tough as he acts." A sad look fleetingly passed over Kuroko's face. "He can be...surprisingly sensitive, and he knows it. For that reason it's hard for him to trust people enough to be friends with them. And if you break his trust, he'd carry that hurt for a long time."

"Is that supposed to comfort me or something?" Taiga snapped. "Because that ain't helping, Kuroko."

"I am simply trying to explain why Aomine-kun may act a little strange. He doesn't like being pressured into things; the more you push at him, the more he'll pull away."

"Still not helping!" Taiga crumpled the wrapping in his hand and tossed it onto the growing pile on his tray, wishing that he was on a court with a ball now. At least slamming a few dunks would relieve some of his frustration. "Look, I get what you're saying, take things slow and shit. But it feels like nothing is happening." 

Kuroko tilted his head. "Is that what you think?"

"What am I supposed to think, then?"

"I think Kagami-kun underestimates how strong his presence is. Aomine-kun is really quite simple in his reactions to what his likes and what he dislikes; he would not spend so much time with you if he didn't want to. You just need to give him time to get used to you." 

Taiga felt a little like grumbling "it's taking so  _long_ ", but he swallowed his childish words. In this, he'd defer to Kuroko's judgement. But... "Is there a way to, I dunno, speed things up?"

Kuroko gave him a small, soft smile. "No need. Kagami-kun is doing the right things already. Just stay strong and be yourself. Aomine-kun will eventually succumb to Kagami-kun's charms."

Taiga snarled at Kuroko's teasing tone, but then the phone in his pocket buzzed. Taiga pulled it out and flipped it open.

_Practice ended early, up for a game of ball right now?_

Taiga knew Kuroko was staring, but he couldn't suppress the grin on his face even if he tried.  _Sure. C u at court in 30 mins._

_K. Don't be late._

When Taiga looked up again, he found that Kuroko was watching him with a smile that made little crinkles at the corners of his eyes. 

"Stop laughing at me," Taiga muttered. "I can tell." He got up and picked up his tray of wrappers. "Well, gotta go. See you around."

"Goodbye, Kagami-kun." Kuroko raised his hand, curled into a fist. "Don't give up."

Taiga rolled his eyes, but he raised his own fist and bumped it against Kuroko's hand. "You know I don't give up that easily," he growled. "But thanks anyway."

* * *

Then the summer of their third year in high school rolled around. 

It was a ridiculously hot day, even for Japan’s brutal summers. Taiga swore he could see the air ripple over the court, and stepping on that hot concrete felt like he was a cookie baking in an oven. 

After only a couple of points, both of them moving far too sluggishly for it to be much fun, they gave up the idea of playing in this heat as a lost cause, and retreated under the shade of a nearby tree.

For a moment they simply sat there, letting themselves cool down under the sparse shade. Eventually Taiga heard Aomine shifting, and turned just in time to see Aomine flop down onto his back, hands cradling the back of his head. 

“Too hot,” Aomine grumbled, squinting out at the space outside the shade. “I want a popsicle.”

“You can always go to the combini,” Taiga said. "It's not that far away."

“Don’t wanna move,” Aomine whined, rolling onto his stomach, burrowing his face into his crossed arms. His next words came out muffled: “You go buy it.”

_“Like hell I'm buying anything for you!"_

"Tch. You're no fun at all." 

"Don't know how Momoi puts up with you," Taiga muttered, idly spinning the basketball on his finger. "You're all take and no give."

"Hey, unlike a certain idiot, she  _appreciates_ me for who I am."

"Yeah, yeah, keep telling yourself that." 

Another moment of silence fell, broken up only by the sounds of birds singing in the trees, and the rumbling sounds of distant traffic. Taiga could sense Aomine staring at the side of his head, and it took all of his willpower to not meet that stare; he knew by now that if he looked back, Aomine would just look away. 

Aomine had been doing that a lot, lately. Just... _watching_  Taiga. It wasn't the same as his stolen sideways glances; it felt as if Aomine was trying to figure out something about Taiga, without actually asking any questions. 

In fact, Aomine had started this not too long after that awkward conversation with Kuroko about how Taiga's feelings towards Aomine. The timing of it had the scent of Kuroko's meddling all over. Kuroko, of course, refused to give Taiga any clear answer as to what he did, and the few times he'd met Momoi she'd similarly refused to say anything about it. "Dai-chan is just being Dai-chan," she'd said airily. "He'll tell you himself when he's ready. You'll see."

Eight months since Taiga and Aomine had started their one-on-ones. And they'd gone nowhere closer than maybe-friends. Taiga was starting to think that he was a bit of a masochist, because surely another person would had given it up by now, but he just  _couldn't_. 

"Hey, Kagami."

Aomine's low voice broke through his reverie, and he fumbled, nearly dropping the ball. He sighed, started spinning the ball again, letting it roll over the top of his knuckles. "What?"

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

This time Taiga  _did_ drop the ball, but he didn't go after it, letting it bounce away as he swivelled towards Aomine. "What sort of question is  _that?_ "

"No need to yell, just curious." 

Taiga stared, but Aomine's eyes had drifted closed, and his body was lax, like he was a step away from falling asleep, looking for all intents and purposes like he'd lost interest. 

Except...they had never discussed something this personal, before. Their conversations tended to revolve around their mutual love of basketball. Very rarely they'd talk about their team-mates, both old and new, but those tend to be stilted, minimal. Taiga suspected that it was because neither of them were really all that close to their team outside the game, Kuroko being their exception. Even then, discussing any of his former team-mates at Teiko always put Aomine in a dark mood, making him sullen and more irritable than usual, so Taiga did his best to avoid what was clearly still a sore topic. _  
_

If Taiga refused to answer Aomine's question now, how long would it take before Aomine would even try to ask about something like that again?

Taiga sighed and stood up, heading towards where the basketball had rolled to a stop. "The answer is 'no', since you asked," he said. 

"Hmm." Aomine cracked open his eyes. "Really? I mean, you are kinda ugly—"

" _Oi!_ "

"—but I thought you would have received a bunch of confessions, after Seirin won the Winter Cup. Girls like athletes, especially those that win championships."

 _Are you talking from experience here?_ Taiga was tempted to ask, but he refrained and shrugged instead. "Yeah, but I never accepted any of them." He stared down at the ball in his hands, wondered if he should risk saying something, and decided that a little hint should be okay. "It won't be fair, since there's someone I like already."

"Hah?" Aomine sat up abruptly, stared at Taiga with rounded eyes. "Really?"

"Really." 

"...Oh." 

Taiga looked at Aomine. The confused look was rather cute on him, he decided. It made Aomine's heavy-lidded eyes look bigger, let them a touch of innocence that Taiga had never seen on Aomine's face before. "What's with that face?"

Aomine blinked, then scowled. "Nothing. Just...I didn't expect it, is all. I've never heard you mention anything like that."

Taiga sighed and tossed the ball to Aomine. "There wasn't a reason to talk about it," he said as he walked back to beneath the shade. He hesitated for a moment when he reached Aomine's side, but than decided to throw caution to the wind and deliberately sat down closer than before, their shoulders just a slight twitch away from actually touching. He could see Aomine stiffen just a bit at the near-contact, but he didn't pull away, so Taiga considered it a win. "There's no point to it, really. I'm not sure the person I like feels the same way I do."

"Huh." Aomine gave him that sideways glance again, instead of turning to face Taiga fully. Unsurprising; at this distance, looking at each other face-to-face would seem too direct. Too intimate. "How could you be so sure?"

Taiga grinned. "What, are you gonna give me  _love advice_ now?"

Aomine jabbed a elbow into Taiga's side, not hard enough to wind him, but still hard enough to _hurt_. Shitty bastard had really sharp elbows. "Just answer the damn question, stupid."

Taiga rubbed at the sore spot as he gave Aomine a wary stare. "Why do you care anyway?"

Aomine was quiet for so long that Taiga wondered if Aomine even heard him, given how intently Aomine was staring at the ground, his expression set in a dark scowl. Just as Taiga was about to prod him and tell him to say something, Aomine spoke, his voice just barely above a whisper: "Maybe I understand how you feel, to like someone who might not feel the same."

Taiga blinked. "Oh." 

"So, yeah." Aomine's shoulder twitched up in a half-shrug. "It is what it is."

Taiga licked his lips, feeling his heart start to skip wildly in his chest. Aomine had just told him that he liked someone; Taiga should feel disappointed, maybe even disheartened. But all Taiga could think of how visibly  _tense_  Aomine was, looking increasingly uncomfortable at how close they were, and yet Aomine made no move to put any distance between them, even though his ears seemed to turn redder with each passing heartbeat. 

It made Taiga suspect that he already knew who exactly Aomine liked.

That tension between them was starting to feel less like sparks, and a lot more like crackling lightning. Taiga felt like his skin was flickering, hair standing on end, and he could feel a twitchiness in his nerves, his body itching to reach out and  _touch_.

His voice, when he spoke, sounded far too hoarse. "How are you sure that they don't like you back?"

Aomine's head snapped up, his eyes narrowed. "Oi. I thought I asked you first."

"I'll answer you if you give me your answer first," Taiga said, and his voice came out a little too harsh, too challenging, but he didn't really care much about that. 

Taiga had always been quick to pounce on any open opportunity, both on and off the court. And  _this_ was one hell of an opening that Aomine had left. Maybe it's reckless of him, but if it meant that Taiga no longer had to wait, that he can finally close the gap between them, it was worth being reckless. 

Aomine bared his teeth in a snarl, his eyes flashing like he was prepared to plant his fist in Taiga's face, but Taiga continued to stare back, unwilling to back down. 

"What's stopping you from asking them out?" Taiga asked. "I mean, like you said, girls like athletes. So why—"

 _"Because the one I like is a guy, alright?_ "

Aomine hissed out the words like they cost him, his expression twisted into a pained grimace. Taiga's eyebrows rose, frankly amazed that Aomine would even admit that out loud.

"Shit." Aomine pulled his knees to his chest, arms wrapping around them and his face dropping in between, hiding his expression from Taiga's view. " _Shit._ That sounded so uncool."

Taiga inclined his head. "Eh. I wouldn't say it's uncool."  _I thought it's kind of adorable, actually,_ but Taiga kept that thought to himself. 

Aomine lifted his head just slightly so he can peek at Taiga over his arm. "You're not...weirded out?"

Taiga shrugged, resisting the urge to reach out and ruffle Aomine's hair. "Why should I be? So you like another guy. What's so bad about that?" He gave Aomine his cockiest grin. "Won't stop me from going all out when I play ball with you."

Those were the right words to say, apparently; something like relief flashed in Aomine's eyes, and he uncurled himself to lie back down on the grass again. "You surprise me, Kagami."

"I'll take that as a compliment." Taiga twisted around so he can look at Aomine's face properly. "So, a guy, huh? Is that why you're so sure he won't like you back?"

"A bit, yeah." Aomine sighed, his eyes drifting closed. "Mostly it's because he's a thick-headed, oblivious idiot, who can't seem to pick up hints even when I wave them in his face."

Taiga very thoroughly pushed away the urge to slap Aomine upside the head. "Is that all? Maybe he's a cautious guy, you should have tried something more obvious. Like, you know, confessing?"

"Pass," Aomine said flatly. 

"Why?"

"Tch. Why should I even do something as gross as that?" 

Taiga felt a vein start to throb in his temple, he was clenching his jaw so hard. Stupid Aomine and his stupid fucking pride, ugh. But just before he can yell at Aomine for being an idiot, Aomine quietly muttered, "It's not like it's easy to just go up to someone and say 'hey, I like you, wanna go out?'. You try doing it and see how that feels."

Taiga tilted his head as he considered Aomine's words. He knew Aomine didn't mean as a challenge, but since Aomine was _right here, right now..._

"Eh. I can do that."

Aomine barely got out a surprised "Huh?" in response before Taiga very quickly crawled over to straddle Aomine's waist, hands planting squarely beside Aomine's head, caging him in.

"Wha—?" Aomine's eyes widened, and his hands flew up as if he wanted to push Taiga away, but they jerked back just before they touched Taiga's chest. Probably a good thing; Taiga could feel his heart beat so hard that it was practically ringing in his ears, and he'd really rather not reveal to Aomine just how _nervous_ he really was. "Oi, Kagami, what are you doing?"

"I like you."

The words smoothly rolled off his tongue, surprisingly easy to say despite the weight of meaning behind those words. Or maybe it was the weight that made them easier to say, because Taiga suddenly knew, with crystal-clear clarity, that _this was it_. _This_ was the moment he was waiting for, lazing with Aomine under a tree, in the sweltering heat of a summer afternoon, after Aomine had let down his guard and revealed enough of his heart for Taiga to see that yes, this could work between them. That he wasn't pining after a lost cause. 

Aomine froze, going still at Taiga's words. He stared up at Taiga with eyes as round as saucers, his mouth forming an 'O' of surprise. 

Too fucking cute. It should be illegal, how Aomine can suddenly turn cute like that. 

"I like you," Taiga repeated. "I've liked you for months now, and I know you feel the same, so...go out with me?" 

Aomine's mouth worked, opening and closing, like he wanted to say something but couldn't find the voice to say them, before he abruptly scowled. 

"What the hell? If this is your idea of a joke—"

Taiga sighed. He'd kind of hoped that Aomine won't respond like that, looking cornered and unconvinced and almost  _scared_.

He took one of Aomine's hands from where it stilled hovered awkwardly between them, and pressed the palm of it flat over his chest, where his heart continued to jump wildly. "Does this feel like a joke to you?"

Aomine's breath hitched, fingers twitching against Taiga's chest. Aomine's hand was shockingly warm, the thin cotton of Taiga's T-shirt barely muting it, and Taiga felt himself grow a little breathless at the decidedly _not-just-friends_ touch, even though he'd initiated it himself. Taiga knew his face was glowing red with embarrassment, but he forced himself to continue looking into Aomine's eyes, and watched as Aomine's expression slowly changed from disbelief to confusion to stunned shock to rising hope, before finally settling into a kind of wide-eyed wonder that Taiga remembered seeing once before, when he'd told Aomine that he'd happily take him on again at the end of their their very first Winter Cup match. 

"Oi," Taiga muttered, when Aomine just continued to stare without saying a word. "Say something already."

Aomine blinked, and then he abruptly scoffed, pulling his hand away, a smile curving his mouth. " _That's_ how you confess to people?" 

"Huh?" Taiga frowned. "What are you smiling about?"

"I'm _laughing at you_ , you idiot. That was a shitty confession."

If his cheeks were feeling hot before, they were very much on fire right now, and Taiga knew his entire face was almost as bright red as his hair. It always made him look ridiculous, the rare times it happened, which only added fuel to the growing indignation at being _mocked_ by Aomine. He snarled, his hands clenching into tight fists. "Shitty—? You asshole, don't you fucking make fun of me!"

"You make it too easy," Aomine countered, and while Taiga spluttered at that he said, "Well, it's not too bad, I suppose I can accept it."

 _That_ yanked Taiga out of the fit of temper he'd worked up. "Eh?"

Aomine cleared his throat and turned his head away, very much not looking at Taiga, and Taiga could see Aomine's ears turning red again. "That was a yes, you idiot. If you want us to...date each other, we can do that."

...

...oh.

_Oh._

For a moment it felt as if time stood still, as the impossible—amazing—realisation that Aomine just accepted his feelings sank into Taiga's conscious mind. And when he finally accepted that, when he realised that this was happening, that this was _real..._

Taiga couldn't help but rear back and pump his fist, couldn't stop shouting out a victorious "Yes!" at the top of his lungs.

"What the—Kagami, you idiot, stop that!" Aomine's eyes darted side to side, his expression horrified. "People can hear you!" _  
_

Given how deserted this area of the park tended to be, Taiga found that unlikely, even if he can be pretty loud when he shouted. And even then... "Don't care," Taiga said gaily, laughing as he dropped down, sliding his arms between Aomine and the grassy ground at his back, pulling him into a tight hug. Aomine swore in his ear and slapped his back, but Taiga only hugged tighter, grinning so hard that his cheeks hurt, and maybe he's feeling a little misty-eyed, but he didn't care.

 _He said yes he said yes he said yes he said—_ "Ow!"

Taiga pushed himself away from Aomine, hand slapping over the sting at his neck. He stared at Aomine with disbelief, feeling the slight dampness over the sting, and what felt like  _teeth marks_. "Did you just  _bite me?_ "

"You were crushing me _,_ you jerk," Aomine snapped, red blooming across his cheeks. "Do you even realise how heavy you are?"

"How could I be crushing you? We're almost the same size!"

"That's why I said you're heavy, stupid! And you're still lying on top of..."

Aomine's voice trailed off, at the same time Taiga was suddenly, shockingly aware of how close they were. There was scarcely an inch of space between their faces, and their bodies were pressed flush against each other; Taiga could feel the rise and fall of Aomine's chest against his, could feel the warm waft of Aomine's breaths across his face.

Taiga sucked in a lungful of air, and his nose, his mouth, his _head_ was filled with the scent of crushed grass and dry earth, but beyond that he smelt, almost  _tasted_ the salty tang of Aomine's sweat, and the heavy musky smell of what had to be Aomne's natural scent, sharp and fierce and just  _strong_ in a way that made Taiga's head spin, made his mouth run dry.

Feeling suddenly nervous, and maybe just a bit terrified, he shifted his weight so he could move off Aomine.

At the same time Aomine apparently decided to try and sit up.

So instead of the distance that Taiga was aiming for, they ended up  _closer_ , somehow.

Their lips met.

Touched. Brushed against each other.

Taiga froze at the contact, just as Aomine went completely still. 

A heartbeat passed. Two. Three.

They didn't move. 

Wide-eyed, Taiga met Aomine's gaze, found himself staring at an equally shocked expression. 

The only thought in Taiga's mind was a panicked chant of  _oh crap,_ over and over again.

But instead of punching Taiga, or even just pushing him away, Taiga saw Aomine's eyes blink once, twice, and then they went  _limpid_ , lids drooping to half-mast, but beneath the lowered lashes Taiga could see that Aomine's gaze had focused on him with a laser-like intensity.

They were Aomine's Zone eyes.

Startled by  _that_ realisation—going into Zone when they weren't even playing a game?—Taiga didn't register that Aomine had moved until he felt a hand cupping the back of his nape, holding him, and then Aomine shifted, pressing closer, slotting their lips together.

Taiga's brain stuttered to a halt.

Aomine's lips firmed; unthinkingly, Taiga softened his own mouth, letting it part open. Aomine made an interested hum at that, and Taiga could feel the edge of a smile on Aomine's mouth before a wet tongue darted out to flick against his teeth.

That sudden teasing intrusion snapped Taiga out of the daze he was in, and he was fully aware that they were _kissing_. Or rather, Aomine was kissing him, and Taiga was just sitting there, slack-mouthed and gawking. And he could sense Aomine's growing amusement over  _that_ fact.

_Oh, hell no._

Taiga growled, indignant and annoyed. He cupped a hand on Aomine's face, tipped his head to a better angle, and kissed back.

Took control of the kiss, and pushed Aomine down with his other hand, the better to press Aomine's mouth open with his tongue, and to dip past his teeth to stroke. To taste.

The sound that Aomine made in response was one of surprise, and Taiga mentally triumphed over that, even as his thoughts shifted, narrowing into the singular intent of drawing Aomine further into this exchange, to feed the demands of his body and to find out how to satisfy Aomine's own needs.

And Aomine responded, kissed him back, mouth opening and softening at once, his tongue meeting Taiga's caress for caress. The hand at Taiga's nape slid up further, fingers combing into his hair, and then twisting, gripping, wordlessly responding to Taiga's urging and at the same time demanding for more.  

Aomine was just a touch too sloppy, used a little too much teeth, but Taiga suspected it was a result of inexperience, and it did nothing to diminish the excitement that was pulsing through his blood. In fact, Taiga found himself secretly thrilled, knowing that Aomine had not kissed much, if he had even kissed anyone before, and Taiga was perfectly willing to explore that with him, to find out and learn more about what else they can do with their bodies together. Taiga broke away from the kiss, sliding his lips down to the hollow beneath Aomine's ear. He felt Aomine drag in a breath, chest swelling beneath his, heard a gasp when Taiga dragged his teeth over a taut tendon and very gently  _bit—_

A car horn blared, loud and sudden, and the birds gathered in the tree above them startled, flew away in a rush of wildly flapping wings.

Taiga pulled back on a gasp, raising his head. Heart pounding, his senses reeling, he stared down at Aomine, who was sprawled beneath him, glassy-eyed and mouth half-open, lips glistening and just a touch swollen. 

God, he looked  _edible_. Taiga wanted nothing more to swoop back in and reclaim that mouth.

Except Taiga's heart was beating with more than just his body's hunger as he remembered that they were in public, where anyone could walk by and see them. He really didn't care what other people thought of them, but  _Aomine_  was clearly not as open, given his reaction when Taiga shouted earlier.

Besides, the kinds of things he wanted to do with Aomine were best done behind firmly-locked doors. Taiga wasn't an exhibitionist, and okay, he'd admit that he was a little possessive, because he wanted to keep that glaze-eyed look on Aomine's face all to himself. 

Aomine's eyes closed, then slowly opened, and Taiga could see Aomine visibly rising back to full awareness of their surroundings, his gaze properly focusing on Taiga. One of his hands drifted up, fingers lightly touching his lips, as if he was only just realising what they were doing moments before.

And to Taiga's delight, Aomine's face turned the color of a ripe tomato.

 _Definitely a first-time kisser_ , a voice in Taiga's head crowed. No one who'd ever kissed before would react all bashful like that. "Not bad for a first-timer," he said, light and teasing.

There was a flash of temper in Aomine's eyes, and he jerked his hand away, but the glare and the snarl did nothing to hide the way his face practically glowed with embarrassment. "S-shut up. As if you weren't the same."

Taiga grinned, cheerful with the knowledge that at least in  _this_ , he had the upper-hand. "Actually, I've kissed before," Taiga replied. Granted, only with Alex, but that's a story for another day. Trying to explain Alex's peculiarities without her actually trying to demonstrate usually brought more grief than was necessary, from his experience.

Aomine's jaw dropped, eyebrows rising to his hairline. "Seriously?"

"Very seriously." Feeling mischievous, Taiga swiftly bent down and gave Aomine a quick kiss right on the nose, and clambered up to his feet before Aomine can respond with more than an outraged squawk. 

It's nice to see Aomine being the one feeling out of his depth, for a change, and Taiga was tempted to continue with the teasing. But noontime was starting to approach, and frankly Taiga was starting to feel a little disgusted with the heat. 

Taiga swept up the half-forgotten basketball with one hand, and extended the other to Aomine. "Wanna come over to my place?" he asked, as casually as he can say it. 

"Huh?" Aomine squinted up at him. "Why should I?"

"I have ice-cream." Taiga mentally checked the contents of his pantry and fridge, and added, "I'll even cook you lunch, if you play nice."

Taiga saw the little spark of interest at the mention of food, just before it was hidden by a scowl. "Tch, whatever." Aomine grabbed the offered hand, allowed Taiga to pull him up to his feet. "Your cooking better not suck."

And just like that, Aomine went from _adorable_ back to _annoying_. "What the hell is that comment for?" Taiga growled. "You  _know_ I'm a damn good cook, you ate my tai before."

Aomine shrugged. "I never said it was good."

Taiga glared at him, eyes narrowing. "You never said it was bad either."

Aomine's lips pulled back in a sneer, but he didn't meet Taiga's stare, his eyes shifting sideways in avoidance. Taiga grinned at that, sensing that he'd hit a bull's eye. 

Aomine grumbled something under his breath, too soft for Taiga to catch, before he shoved roughly at Taiga's shoulder. "Just walk already, dumbass. I'm hungry."

Taiga reined in the urge to shove back; that would likely end up dragging the both of them into a scuffle out here in the park, and Taiga really wanted to get out of the sun. Besides, seeing Aomine clearly trying to avoid the question was just confirmation that he was right. Feeling smug and satisfied, he draped an arm over Aomine's shoulders, knowing that Aomine found the gesture as annoying as Taiga did when he was on the receiving end of it. "You  _liked_  it," he said tauntingly, right into Aomine's ear. "You just didn't want to admit it, you jerk."

"Shut up, you idiot," Aomine bit out. "I'll seriously punch you."

Taiga raised an eyebrow at that. "That's not a nice way to treat your boyfriend, you know."

Taiga had expected Aomine to be embarrassed by that casual declaration of their changed relationship, but Aomine only gave him a _look_ , oddly serious and solemn. "Is that what we are now? Boyfriends?" 

Taiga frowned, confused by that question. "Um, duh? Of course we are."

Aomine said nothing, only made a quiet hum, before he shrugged off Taiga's arm. "Stop leaning on me," he muttered. "Weather's way too hot for that."

Taiga felt like he'd missed something pretty important, but Aomine had a closed-off expression on his face that Taiga recognised, because he wore it himself whenever he really didn't want to talk about something.

Sometimes, Taiga truly wondered at the similarities between them. It's almost like looking into a mirror, on some days. 

But Aomine didn't actually push him away, and when Taiga impulsively reached out and took Aomine's hand, Aomine simply curled his fingers between Taiga's and kept their hands clasped together while Taiga led the way to his apartment, like it was the most natural thing in the world. 

Taiga remembered Kuroko's words again, about the two of them being nearly-identical. 

Maybe their similarities made them fight too often, since they kept rubbing each other the wrong way. But maybe that also meant that this relationship could work out between them if they both worked for it, like the way they can read each other on the court and worked to keep their game going as long as they both can.

And Taiga, at least, had no intention of giving up so easily. 

**Author's Note:**

> \- The "tai" that Taiga mentioned comes from this drama CD, where he (successfully) convinces Aomine to eat a dish he cooked: [Kuroko no Basuke 2nd Season Vol. 2 Special CD Feat. Kagami Taiga](https://grimmfeather.wordpress.com/2014/05/06/translation-kuroko-no-basuke-2nd-season-vol-2-audio-drama-feat-kagami-taiga/#more-2087) (translated by grimmfeather on Wordpress)
> 
> * * *
> 
> Alternate summary: Let's spend about three thousand words rolling around in the mess of Taiga's head, then another three thousand seeing Taiga and Daiki awkwardly and semi-hostilely confront each other about _feelings_ , before we actually get to the juicy kissy parts.
> 
> And here marks the end of my first "serious" contribution to the KnB fandom! 
> 
> Kagami's PoV is such a delight to write from; I feel like he's this really guileless and honest character, and yet also really _realistic_ in his mindset when it comes to the stuff that would seem overwhelming to any other person at his age. A very self-aware, confident, and pragmatic guy. :D I can understand why Kagami's dad would let him have free reign of such a huge apartment despite being so young in age. 
> 
> I want to write more of these two, someday xD when I'm less swamped with work.
> 
> Thank you very much for reading, and feel free to leave a comment! Feedback is very much appreciated!
> 
>  
> 
> [Author's commentary on Tumblr.](http://dragonreine.tumblr.com/post/122852002067/waiting-game-kagami-aomine-authors-commentary)


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